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Little boys attract dirt
Year: 2008
Please vote NO to random searches in our schools
I felt compelled to email each of our school board members (and the ACLU) since tonight they will vote to approve random searching of students in our schools. This is the email I sent. Will you send one?
Dear School Board,
Please vote NO to random searches in our schools. Our money and time will be better spent developing a rapport with the students.
These websites informed me that Knox County School plans to pass a measure to allow random searching of students in the schools:
http://schoolmatters.knoxnews.com/forum/topic/show?id=879777%3ATopic%3A28290
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/sep/30/random-searches-at-schools-studied/
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/oct/01/Knox-school-superintendent-proposes-random-search/After the Central High School shooting, didn’t security experts advise you that the security cameras were a waste of money and that we’d be better served by having personnel interact more frequently with the students? See this quote from Knox School Matters:
I do not agree, I have a teenage daughter and do not want anyone “doing a pat down” search on her. They had a random metal detector search at Powell the other day and they only ran every 7th kid through it and yelled at the kids to shut up and just go through and dont ask questions. The kids were terrfied not knowing what was going on and being yelled at like criminals. Source, Knoxschoolmatters.com, Cindi
Our students deserve to be treated better than that. The students will not talk to the staff and warn them of impending doom when the student body fears the staff. We gain nothing through fear. In the penitentiary system random searches are to “breakdown” the inmates. Is that our goal? To brainwash and breakdown the children and parents? What legacy will we leave with these children when they graduate and start passing laws for us? For our own safety, will they legalize random searches in our retirement homes? The malls? Our houses?
Random searching is nothing more than theater. It is a waste of staff time, humiliating to the students, and ineffective. Ineffective? The student that wants to bring a gun to school isn’t going to be deterred by the possibility of a random search but I bet that student will be talking and exhibiting behaviors that give warning signs long before the gun comes in. You will pick up on the warning signs by interacting positively with the students. Negativity begets negativity and random searches are very negative.
Random searches at a school are different than random searches at an airport (although equally ineffective and very much theater). At the airport, we have the option to decline being searched and leave. Will our students have the right to decline a search and leave school?
You cannot build trust and safety on a foundation of fear and false suspicion. Please vote no.
Thank you!
Doug McCaughan
phone number
Update: A commenter at Knoxnews has this:
The Supreme Court Case that most directly deals with student searches is New Jersey v. T.L.O (469 U.S. 325). The written opinion states that althought students have not “necessarily waived all rights to privacy in such items by bringing them (legitimate, non-contraband items) onto school grounds,” a search can still be conducted if determined to be “reasonable.” The following describes the factors used to determine reasonableness:
“Determining the reasonableness of any search involves a determination of whether the search was justified at its inception and whether, as conducted, it was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances that justified the interference in the first place. Under ordinary circumstances, the search of a student by a school official will be justified at its inception where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the rules of the school.”
In other words, officials must have a reason to search (less cause than suspision) a student. Random selection, by definition, is not a specific reason.
No matter how the school board votes, allowing random searches would be in direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling, and state and county law can not supercede federal law.
Update: No response from any board member. The ACLU called almost immediately!
Auto maintenance advice
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How weak are my glasses?
My glasses are so weak that I just wore them for 5 minutes before remembering that one of the lenses popped out earlier.
From the mouths of babes
Evan poking me in my side hard enough to bruise: "Daddy, I want you come upschairs."
Dad: "No I have to work."
Evan: "I have to work too."
Dad: "Oh you do? What are you working on?"
Evan: "I work on compshure."
I wish I could live long enough to see a society where our "work" was solely the development and growth of our children and that our skills were simply contributed as needed to the community. Ray, where’s that Singularity?
The Cupboards Were Bare
When the bedtime stories talk about bare cupboards, they mean ours. For the past 2 weeks, I have been saying, "We need to go to Sam’s. We need to go to the grocery." Time has not permitted. Somehow we have managed. Through creative cooking, every last crumb has turned into a child’s lunch for school, an afternoon snack, or a meal. When the stocks are running to nothing, resourcefulness and creativity kick in. This morning I looked in one cabinet and it was literally devoid of all but a single item! I could feel its vacuum trying to suck me in as if the Haldron Large Collider actually made its black hole in my kitchen cabinetry. The food shelves and fridge had barely enough to make Amy’s school lunch. I could have made pancakes or eggs and toast and avoided a trip to the store but this was looking bad. So for the sake of a happy family, I quested for food at Kroger before anyone woke.
I dodge boxes and employees while walking down the isles of Kroger for it was restocking time. The store is a bustle of activity and I feel like I’ve accidentally become privy to Disney’s afterhours magic. As I pull boxes of junk into my cart, knowing fruit rollups would please the children, I lament feeding them processed junk and ponder what I could do to send them to school with healthy snacks that they would still enjoy. Feeding a family is tough. Feeding a large family is more difficult. Feeding a large family healthy food on a tight budget and frantic schedule is nearly impossible! None the less, I make strides to improve. For instance, we have instant mashed potatoes in a fix but I prefer to make mashed potatoes from scratch.
The kitchen is a little less barren now. The children are happier. I still look forward to getting to Sam’s for we survive on bulk!
Congress Is Under Martial Law!
I said martial law was coming October 1st. I was wrong. Apparently the Speaker of the House declared martial law on Saturday night (September 27th) according to Rep Burgess.
Anyone have any clarification on Rep Burgess’ statement? Ah! Apparently Congressional Martial Law is different than Martial Law from the Executive Branch. Explanation:
Nobody knows what gas is worth
Same street corner. Intersection of Northshore and Morrell. The free market is confused.
- Weigel’s: $3.489
- Texaco: $3.459
- Pilot:$3.399
I don’t know if it had anything to do with the price of gas or just being a Monday but Pilot’s parking lot was a clusterduck of activity and could barely fit any more vehicles. There was no order to it either. Looked like an intersection in Hanoi! The McDonald’s 18 wheeler was delivering supplies. The Waste Connections truck was picking up the dumpster. Landscapers were filling up their tanks. Between the huge trucks and trailers, cars were zigging and zagging and negotiating right of way by hand signals. And you know what! It worked. No accidents. No red light cameras. No traffic signals. Granted, it was just a parking lot.
From the mouths of babes
Mom: "Do you want to go to school and play with your friends."
Evan, 3 years old and went to bed too late: "Nuh uh."
Evan then cocoons himself in the covers.
Save electricity without spending a dime, right now!
Fall is upon us and the weather is beautiful! Are you stilling running your air conditioner? Why? For the past 2 weeks or more, we have kept our windows open most nights and through most of the day. Some afternoons get too warm and the air has to be run briefly. At night, the bedroom windows may be closed so the children don’t catch a chill but the rest of the windows are left open to enjoy the sound of nature, feel the breeze, and on those wet days listen to the pitter patter of rain drops.
We forget the sounds blocked by the windows. The melodious birds are relaxing. The crickets and cicadas are disturbing to some and calming white noise to others. The sound of the rain is a special treat. The open windows air out the house with fresh smells. Best of all, open windows mean less electricity which is good for the environment and pleasing to the pocketbook. Try keeping your air conditioner off for 3 weeks and see if your next utility bill is not surprisingly pleasing.
From the mouths of babes
Evan, 3 years old, one finger pointing to scrotum: "Dad, I have ball in this."
Dad: " mmKay."
Evan: "I have 3 balls in this."
Dad: "Three?!"
Dear Congress, Thank you for saving Internet radio!
There is unrest in the forest, There is trouble with the trees
Eek! I was just out speaking with a neighbor and we look up to see that the trees have started turning! The Battle of the Leaves is upon us. Fall is here!
Gas close to my $3.249 prediction!
Gas at Kroger $3.299 with plus card discount otherwise $3.399
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